14 | Letters To the editor Pray, rid our roads of killer bodabodas Kenyatta National Hospital’s wards 6A, C and D have been converted into emergency wards to receive the swelling numbers of motorcycle victims. Young men, barely in their 20s, fill populate it, in various degrees of incapacitation, maim and pain. Some have even had all their four limbs amputated. True, motorcycles have been an economic getaway for many, but what good is a policy that kills thousands of the targeted beneficiaries? Unless we are determined to annihilate our youth, we must do something about the motorcycle menace. The easiest would be to ban them altogether. Migwi Philip, via e-mail. When will our era of deliverance begin? We have had enough scandals in Kenya. Everyone expected the new government to protect taxpayers’ money and utilise it as it should but our leaders, it would seem, are the same selfish lot we have always known. The amounts that this country has lost in scandals is enough to build referral hospitals, fully equipped schools and super-highways in every county, offering jobs to thousands of youth. We have always voted in the hope that the next era will find solutions to our problems, which explains why the youth rallied behind the digital duo. But that age has not arrived yet. But do we have to? Can we not get deliverance now? Reagan Nyadimo, Nairobi. Destruction of Nyeri Hill must be stopped I write this with a lot of pain in my heart, having witnessed the destruction of Nyeri Hill, an important communication location with radio and TV transmitters, a tourist centre, and, together with the Aberdares, an important rain catchment area. Currently, people are building at the hilltop, a trend that if allowed to continue, the famous githuri (big old man), as it is known to locals, will soon be history. We must stop ruining nature for future generations. Let’s protect our natural resources and continue the legacy left by the late Wangari Maathai. I call on Nyeri leadership to intervene and protect this hill which now has tears flowing down the cheeks of githuri. Ndiritu Wanjohi, Nyeri. Thirty Years Ago January 26, 1984 Kenyatta University College should now be established by an Act of Parliament. This was said by chair of the new college council, S.N. Waruhiu, while welcoming the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Jonathan Ng’eno to launch the new Keny- atta College Council. Mr Waruhiu said the college should have the ability to sue and be sued, capacity to own property, and enter into legally recognised agreements. He said there is a proposal to “enable President Moi to create institutions of this nature by a charter. However, for a college like Kenyatta and Egerton, it would be necessary to have all the transfer of assets legalised by an Act of Parliament.” The council chair revealed that the Deed of Incorporation had been drawn and presented to the Ministry of Education. Kenyatta College is a constituent college of the University of Nairobi and is partially administered through the ministry. TALKING POINT It is time we redefined our superficial political culture independence seems an appropriate time to examine the nature of our politics. Even the most dishonest among us will admit that the primary determinant of political choice in Kenya is ethnicity. For the aspiring top-tier politician, the model appears fiendishly simple: seek the support of your tribesmen, and use this to negotiate your way to power with other regional kingpins. While some might argue that W is has not instilled a sense of meaning and order in our politics, the sad reality is this model has worked exceptionally well for others. This does not work without the complicity of the voter! Recent Presidential appoint- ments that saw political allies get rewarded with positions in State corporations has generated disquiet in many circles. The fact that merit did not appear to play a part was a throwback to an era most Kenyans hoped was over. It is impossible to ignore the fact that a significant majority appears to favour the ethnic groups from where the President and his Deputy come from, despite the professional and intellectual wealth all over the country. FILE | NATION Youths raise their arms in submission after a crackdown on rioters. Recurring demonstrations are a sign that something is amiss. Take, for example, the President’s assertion that his deputy and himself intend to ‘rule’ for the next 20 years. If this comes to pass, two communities will have produced the only presidents in Kenya over 70-years. I find it difficult to digest the fact that a Samburu or a Giriama might never be president on the basis of ethno-numerical inferiority. Sadly, this backward thinking transcends the entire political class, and comes to rest and fester most comfortably among us, the electorate. The political class will not ultimately define our political culture. Rather, it will be defined by whether we perpetually consent to be herded like sheep into ethnic voting blocks that serve the interests of ethnic ‘big-men’; whether, in so doing, we allow our politics to remain devoid of ideologies to unite the nation and drive our national ambitions. A political culture that condones and even promotes cronyism is a clear indication that we have not progressed as much as we ought to have. A political culture that openly promotes ethnic chauvinism is incapable of leading this country to peace and prosperity. Tom Mboya, via e-mail. Chaos in Meru a result of regional inequality The recent tension in Meru, starting with the appointments in the parastatals to the demolition of kiosks by the county government, is a classic result of deep-seated resentment. To the keen-eyed, the demos are a pointer to something deeper than demolitions of kiosks. Commenting about it later, Governor Peter Munya alleged people had been ferried from Tigania East, Maua and Igembe South, to protest. While that is untrue, it also tells where disquiet lies. Disunity in this part of Kenya will not be pacified by mere rhetoric, but through addressing the people’s grievances. The Constitution requires that resources and government appointments represent the face of Kenya and trickle down to villages where possible. This is where former President Kibaki failed the Meru people terribly. Former President Moi had set the pace by distributing seats in the region, but the gains were reversed by the Kibaki administration, when appointments were concentrated to Central Meru. Mr Muthaura’s objection by some in Meru was not about his qualification or age; it’s about the sidelining of a sec- tion of the Ameru. President Uhuru Kenyatta must move to unify the Ameru by being a president to all Merus. It’s the only way to quell the growing mistrust. As a US Congresswoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz said, “...diversity on the bench is critical. As practitioners, you need judges who ‘get it!’ We need judges who understand what discrimination feels like, who understand what inequality feels like. We need judges who understand the subtleties of unfair treatment and who are willing to call it out when they see it.” Elijah Ikiburu, Maua. Compiled by Augustine Nyagah hat does our political culture reveal about us? 50 years after SUNDAY NATION January 26, 2014 The editor welcomes brief letters on topical issues. Write on e-mail to: sundaynation@ke.nationmedia.com. You can also mail to: The Editor, Sunday Nation, P.O.B 49010, Nairobi 00100. Letters may be edited for clarity, space or legal considerations. The Cutting Edge BY THE WATCHMAN READ THE CONSTITUTION: There is no need to argue about when the next General Election should be held as this is clearly outlined in the Constitution, says Dickson Ogolla. Articles 101 and 136, for the General Election and the presidential poll, respectively, the Kisumu resident adds, both indicate that it is “the second Tuesday in August in the fifth year”. According to Dickson, whether the base is January 1, March 4, 2013 or even April 9, the next poll date will be August 8, 2017. “The Jubilee government, therefore, has three-and-a-half years to go.” His contact is dogolla@gmail.com. FODDER FOR GENIUSES: Nacada chairman John Mututho’s remark that only a tenth of the drinks in the market are legit and fit for consumption is simply intriguing. However, George Gathu thinks that this is an opportunity in the digital age, with the upsurge in mobile phone usage, for some clever people to come up with an app and a bar code or a disposable drink label that verifies its authenticity. “The possible reuse of the label should be eliminated.” This way, he adds, drinkers will be able to enjoy their tipple without any worries. His contact is ggathu@yahoo.com. WHERE IS OUR WATER?: Nairobi Water Company can do better than this, says Peter Kago, a resident of the Civil Servants’ Estate, at Kariobangi South, which, he claims, has not had tap water for a good six months. And this, despite calling at the city water firm’s offices at Kariobangi and Eastleigh, and the headquarters on Kampala Road in the Industrial Area. To add insult to injury, Peter adds, a broken pipe some residents have been drawing water from has recently been plugged without giving them an alternative. His contact is kagopm@yahoo.com. JOB HURDLES: The numerous clearance letters one has to obtain to be able to apply for any of the many jobs being advertised in the counties is a big joke, says Jane Kanana. But that is not all. The letters come at a tidy fee, with some asking for even up to Sh10,500 to issue one. She wonders where someone who does not have a job will get such a huge sum from to be able to send in her application. “Is this a ploy to keep the poor away from these jobs?” asks Jane, whose contact is jakana2000@yahoo.com. APPROACH IMPRUDENT: The protests being wit- nessed daily in the towns in many counties, following local governments’ decision to increase business permit fees and other charges and levies, are a firm indication that all is not well in these newly devolved units, says Joseph Macharia. Writing from the little farming town of Naivasha, Joseph is urging the governors to urgently seek ways and means of “arresting the situation” before it gets out of hand countrywide. His contact is machariajoseph82@gmail.com. ROAD A PUT-OFF: With Nairobi’s new Imara Daima Railway Station now ready for use, complete with a magnificent parking lot where commuters can leave their cars and ride on the train to the city centre, Donnelly M. Mose is disappointed that the job is not quite complete yet. And his grouse is about the road leading to the station, which, he says, is in an appalling state. Mose has been using the road while taking his child to the nearby Riara Springs School, and the mere thought of driving on the stretch makes him cringe. “Please repair this road,” he pleads. His contact is Donnelly.Mos e@equitybank.co.ke. DREAM DERAILED: Following the launch of the Makadara and Syokimau commuter train stations in Nairobi, Dennis Oketch says he was excited about the prospect of avoiding the horrendous traffic jams in the city and riding comfortably to and from work daily. However, according to him, this remains a distant dream. Says he: “After parking my car at Syokimau and being crammed with others into a coach, I wondered what became of the promise to provide more coaches and increase the frequency of trips. I am sorry. It’s either back to my car or matatus.” His contact is dennisoketch@gmail.com. Have a better day, won’t you! FILE | NATION Mr Waruhiu. Email: watchman@ke.nationmedia.com Mail: The Watchman PO BOX 49010, GPO 00100, Nairobi. Fax 2213946